THE HIGHEST -PAID NFL PLAYERS OF ALL TIME

 

MIKE TOMLIN UNDER FIRE FOR 'COWARDLY' DECISION DURING STEELERS-RAVENS

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Baltimore.
Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

If anyone should understand the importance of not letting the Baltimore Ravens build any sort of momentum, it should be Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

The 52-year-old coach has had a front-row seat to how the Ravens operate as a division rival for the last 18 seasons, but he seemingly threw everything he learned in that time out the window during Saturday's wild-card playoff matchup in Baltimore.

Trailing just 7-0 a little under three minutes into the second quarter, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson hit tight end Pat Friermuth for a 1-yard gain that set up a fourth-and-inches at the Pittsburgh 29-yard line.

But rather than trying to pick up the minimal yardage with 1,000-yard running back Najee Harris, trying a run-pass option with speedy backup QB Justin Fields, or even trying to draw the Ravens defense offside, Tomlin elected to punt the ball away.

The Ravens then marched 85 yards in 13 plays - all runs - and took a 14-0 lead on a Derrick Henry 8-yard touchdown, prompting a few NFL analysts as well as several fans to roast Tomlin on social media for his questionable coaching decision.

"Throwing short of the sticks on 3rd and 2 and following it up with a punt on 4th and inches to give the ball back to the likely NFL MVP " ESPN's Field Yates wrote.

"I mean... I'll keep defending Mike Tomlin but that's an all-time chicken punt," ESPN's Dan Graziano stated.

"Game over. This freaking guy cowardly punts on 4th and 1 inch, then sees his defense continue to get pummeled. It's comical how bad of a coach Mike Tomlin is when it really matters," one fan exclaimed.

"You need 4 inches and you're punting. Mike Tomlin coaches scared more than any ‘great' coach in football," another fan remarked.

"Mike Tomlin punted with less than an inch to get it in a playoff game that you win or go home. He is coaching scared," one user proclaimed.

Pittsburgh punted on their next drive before scoring on their first two drives of the second half. The Ravens won 28-14, and the Steelers haven't made it past the wild-card round of the playoffs since 2017.

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- Michael Gallagher, Athlon Sports

SOURCES: FALCONS EXPECTED TO CUT KIRK COUSINS BEFORE $10M BONUS DUE

Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the NFL fully expecting Atlanta to release him by then.

The split between Cousins and the Falcons is inevitable at this point, according to multiple sources.

Front office executives observing the situation have pointed out that, due to the no-trade clause in Cousins' contract, he now has all the leverage. And nobody believes he will do any favors for a Falcons team that surprised him on draft night by selecting another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., in the first round then benched him this week in favor of the rookie.

Thus there now is a widespread expectation across the league that the Falcons will not be able to trade Cousins and will have to release him before March 17, when his $10 million roster bonus for the 2026 season comes due. There is no need for the Falcons to absorb any more costs for a quarterback who they have paid $90 million for 14 games.

Therefore, for the second straight offseason, Cousins is expected to become a free agent, able to choose the team and situation he believes will be best for him.

A Falcons official told ESPN on Saturday morning that it was too early to determine whether the organization would release Cousins. The official added that Penix's relatively low salary cap number for 2025 ($5.2 million) gives the Falcons the financial flexibility to potentially keep Cousins.

But the expectation around the league remains that the Falcons will release Cousins before the roster bonus is due.

The Denver Broncos were in a similar situation last offseason, when Russell Wilson ultimately was released before his $37 million salary for the 2025 season became fully guaranteed. Wilson's guarantee was due on March 17, 2024, exactly one year before Cousins' roster bonus with the Falcons is due.

Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth the veterans minimum at $1.2 million -- similar to the type of contract offers the 36-year-old Cousins would field from other teams if he chooses to play in 2025. Any salary Cousins earns in 2025 would be offset by the $27.5 million owed to him by the Falcons, making him a potential bargain option for next season.

Had the situation in Atlanta been handled differently, in the eyes of executives across the league, the Falcons maybe would have had a chance to work with Cousins to facilitate a trade to another team. But considering the history that has unfolded in recent months, that is not expected to be the case.

Cousins was not informed that the Falcons would draft a quarterback until they called the four-time Pro Bowler while they were on the clock for their first-round pick in April.

This caused frustration and confusion from the Cousins camp, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on draft night, because Atlanta didn't use the eighth overall pick on a player to support Cousins and make the team better; instead the Falcons selected a player to eventually take over for Cousins.

Kirk Cousins, who has a $10 million roster bonus due on March 17, acknowledged this week that his turnovers hurt the Falcons but insisted that he "didn't forget how to play quarterback." Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

"He got the call on the clock, obviously because of the sensitive time with the issues of what you got going on," Falcons coach Raheem Morris said in April. "It's never a right time to talk to a quarterback about those things, and reactions are always going to be private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides to tell you some of those things that are whatever they may be.

"But he's a competitor, just like us all. And you can always expect those things to go just like you kind of think."

The Falcons announced Tuesday that Penix was their starting quarterback "moving forward" with three games remaining this season, sending Cousins to the bench just months after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract that included $100 million guaranteed.

The Falcons might try to see whether there is a way to trade Cousins but would need his cooperation, and nobody across the league expects them to get it, meaning it's only a matter of time before Atlanta will be left with no choice but to release him.

What also makes the move interesting is the perceived shortage of quality quarterbacks available this offseason. Next year's draft is not considered as good or deep at the quarterback position as this year's, and the free agent quarterback class currently is scheduled to include Sam Darnold, Wilson and eventually Cousins.

Teams expected to be in the quarterback market this offseason include the Steelers, Jets, Giants, Raiders, Saints, Browns and Titans. As usual, there aren't enough quarterbacks for everyone.

Morris said Wednesday that the biggest factor in benching Cousins was his turnovers. Cousins has a league-leading 16 interceptions, and his 12 fumbles is tied for the most in the NFL with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"There's a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that, unfortunately, I wasn't playing up to that standard consistently enough," Cousins said Wednesday in his first comments since being benched. "And so, it is what it is, and you roll with it and now you still get ready -- 'one play away' kind of a thing -- and support Mike and just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three to get in the playoffs, and that's what it's all about."

The Falcons (7-7) are second in the NFC South but own the tiebreaker over the first-place Buccaneers (8-6) and have a 20% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN's Football Power Index projections.

Atlanta hosts the struggling Giants (2-12) on Sunday, when Penix will make his first career start.

Cousins said Wednesday that, despite coming back from a torn Achilles in 2023, he is not injured. As far as beyond this season, he said he will deal with that when the time comes.

"I didn't forget how to play quarterback," he said. "Certainly, turnovers were not what you want, but I didn't forget how to play."

ESPN's Marc Raimondi contributed to this report.

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MOST WINS BY A QB THROUGH 8 SEASONS | IN NFL HISTORY

 

RUSSELL WILSON VICTORIOUS IN DEBUT WITH PITTSBURGH STEELERS

PITTSBURGH -- As the offense trudged off the field following its third consecutive three-and-out early in the second quarter Monday night, loud boos rained down from a listless Acrisure Stadium crowd. And if there was any doubt about the primary target of the vocal frustration, the chants for Justin Fields made it abundantly clear: Russell Wilson's subpar play and inaccuracy was at the heart of the crowd's discontent.

Two hours and 34 unanswered points later, though, the crowd sang along to Biz Markie and Mac Miller as Wilson quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 37-15 win against the New York Jets in prime time, setting a franchise record for passing yards and points scored in a debut along the way.

Wilson finished his injury-delayed regular-season debut with 264 passing yards and three total touchdowns. And after completing just 2 of 6 attempts for 19 yards in the first quarter -- including a 15-yard completion to Darnell Washington on his first attempt -- Wilson completed 14 of 23 attempts for 245 yards in the final three quarters, increasing his completion percentage from 33% in the first frame to 60% in the final three.

"I thought he was excellent," coach Mike Tomlin said. "I thought he got better as the game went on. But I'm not surprised by that. It has been a while since he's played some ball, but I thought he settled in, knocked the rust off and distributed the ball around and played well."

Wilson, of course, heard the boos early in the game, but he said afterward that his steady mentality helped him rebound from a rocky start that saw the Steelers go 0-of-3 on third down in the first quarter as underthrown passes bounced to the turf and others were haphazardly thrown away as the Jets' pass rush closed in.

"I really believe in being neutral, not being too high, not being too low," Wilson said, adding that he followed the advice of his late mental conditioning coach, Trevor Moawad: "Stay the course."

Wilson likened his performance to a baseball player starting 0-for-2 at the plate but said he "felt like I was going to get hot."

"And sure enough, we did," Wilson said. "... You catch the wave, and once you find it, you don't let go. And I think the biggest thing is just knowing who you are, knowing the belief you have in yourself and knowing that also, too, that was my first time back, and I was like, 'OK, I'm starting to feel it again. Here we go.'"

That moment he felt it again, Wilson said, came as he connected with wide receiver George Pickens for the pair's first touchdowns of the season with 27 seconds until halftime.

"Throwing that first touchdown on George was the moment I was like, 'All right, there's going to be a lot more of these,'" Wilson said. "I believe just sometimes it takes that first home run, that first double off the wall, whatever it may be. Obviously, it's October, so I'm talking baseball, but I just think that when you put all the hard work in, and guys are doing the work and at some point it's going to turn in your favor, and it did tonight. We did a great job, and I'm excited by our football team."

Wilson was right. There were more scores to come. He found the end zone two more times, once on a 1-yard sneak and again on a 4-yard throw to wide receiver Van Jefferson for the veteran wide receiver's first score of the season.

"I thought Arthur Smith did a great job letting me cut it loose and guys getting open and guys moving around just making tremendous plays," Wilson said. "I thought he called a great game. He helped me get into a groove. ... He said it may take a second. I never believed that, but it did and then we caught a groove, we believed in it."

Wilson completed 5 of 6 attempts on passes of at least 10 air yards, averaging 24.8 yards per attempt on such throws. Wilson was also 3-of-4 for 92 yards and a touchdown when targeting Pickens on deep throws. After the game, Pickens, who finished with 111 yards on five catches, explained what made their skill sets mesh: "Me locating the ball downfield and Russ' pre-read, seeing what coverage it is before he says hike."

Prior to the game, Tomlin took ownership of the decision to start Wilson over Fields, who went 4-2 in six starts while Wilson worked back from a training camp calf injury. After the win, former NFL wide receiver and Pittsburgh native Brandon Marshall jumped into Tomlin's news conference and asked the head coach if the decision to start Wilson was his "boldest."

"That's why I'm well compensated," Tomlin said.

Wilson downplayed the idea of internal strife in the organization around the quarterback decision.

"We are in a tremendous situation where we are," Wilson said. "I think there's a lot of outside noise that makes it seem like it's a negative thing and this rivalry internal, and it's not, man. We just want to win. That's

 what we're focused on.

"I got to give Justin Fields credit, man, just all the things that he was able to do, how great he's been playing, man, he inspires me every day. ... He's a tremendous quarterback, he's a franchise quarterback, he's a leader. He's got all the intangibles and whatever I can give to him and show him and just be around him, that's part of my job."

"I think that we're just having fun winning. We're having fun playing ball," he continued. "Coach Tomlin believes in all of us, and he does a tremendous job. And this guy, he's a tremendous football coach, and we trust him, and we know who he is and he's very transparent in everything else with us, too.

"We just love winning. We just love being a part of the process."

- Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer

RAVENS NEWS: QB LAMAR JACKSONAKES NFL HISTORY IN GAME VS. CHIEFS

© Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesLamar Jackson, quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson has really improved in recent years, and now the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens has made history in the Week 1 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lamar Jackson’s surprising admission on the last time Ravens faced Mahomes’ Chiefs

Ravens MVP Lamar Jackson reveals Tom Brady as his motivation for the new NFL season.

The 2024 season has kicked off for the Baltimore Ravens, who faced the Kansas City Chiefs on the road, with Lamar Jackson making NFL history during the game.

Lamar Jackson has shown significant improvement in recent years. Initially known more for his running ability than his passing, Jackson has refined his throwing skills and become a more well-rounded quarterback.

According to oddsmakers, the Ravens are strong contenders for the upcoming Super Bowl. However, their first challenge of the season was formidable, as they had to take on the reigning champions away from home.

Lamar Jackson passes Russell Wilson in astonishing NFL stat

Everyone is aware of Lamar Jackson’s remarkable skills. When he started his career, numerous analysts were convinced that he would do a better job as a wide receiver or a running back rather than a quarterback.

Nevertheless, he worked really hard to prove his critics wrong and improved his passing abilities. Now, Jackson is a very complete quarterback, being both a menace through the air and on the ground.

The 2024 season started with a tough game for Baltimore, as they had to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. While the Ravens struggled offensively in the first half, Lamar Jackson was able to make history in the first two quarters.

The quarterback used his rushing abilities to run for 63 yards on eight carries during the first half. With these yards, Lamar Jackson passed Russell Wilson as the third quarterback with the most rushing yards in NFL history.

Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up prior to the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

While Wilson still has a chance to add more rushing yards, Lamar Jackson will likely play for more years to increase his numbers. Russell Wilson entered the season with 5,307 rushing yards, while Jackson had 5,258 prior to the game against Kansas City.

Who is the quarterback with the most rushing yards in NFL history?

The quarterback with the most rushing yards in NFL history is Michael Vick. Over his career, Vick amassed 6,109 rushing yards, setting the record with his dynamic playmaking and mobility as a quarterback.

Lamar Jackson is just a few yards away from breaking the record, and it appears he might achieve it this year. If he remains healthy, he could set a milestone that may remain unmatched for several years.

- Fernando Franco Puga

RAVENS' COMEBACK FALLS A TOE SHORT VS. CHIEFS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs managed to continue their stretch of dominance over a key AFC rival, winning 27-20 in a season-opening heartbreaker for the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.

The game came down to tight end Isaiah Likely's toe being out of bounds on a would-be touchdown in the final seconds.

Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a two-touchdown performance from rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs picked up where they left off in the Super Bowl and look to be legit contenders for the elusive three-peat.

Meanwhile, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fell to 1-5 in his career against Mahomes.

Here are the keys to the game:

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy had his season debut against the Baltimore Ravens. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs drafted Worthy to help bring the big play back to their offense. He won't always do it as well going forward as he did in his NFL debut, but judging from Thursday night, he's going to have a big impact.

Worthy looked like he fits in nicely with a wide receiver group that includes Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown. Brown didn't play against the Ravens because of a shoulder injury but should return early in the season.

Worthy scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run the first time he got the ball in an NFL game. In the fourth quarter, he caught a 35-yard touchdown pass. Though he won't always score twice in a game, look for Worthy to have this kind of impact. He won't necessarily get a high volume of touches, but he will make the most of those he gets.

QB breakdown: Mahomes made a critical mistake by forcing a throw late in the first half that was intercepted. That cost the Chiefs a chance at some points and set up the Ravens with good field position, which they used to kick a field goal. Otherwise, it was a solid game from Mahomes. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards while topping Len Dawson as the Chiefs' all-time leading passer.

Eye-popping advanced stat: WR Rice, who caught seven passes for 103 yards, had 72 of those yards after the catch, the second most in a game in his career. Mahomes was often able to find him when he was moving up the field with a defender trailing or otherwise in a seam in coverage. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sept. 15)

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' season began the way their last season ended -- with a frustrating defeat to Mahomes and the Chiefs.

In a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, Thursday night's loss dropped Jackson and the Ravens to 1-5 against Mahomes. Jackson is 60-19 (.759) against the rest of the league, including the postseason.

On the final drive, Jackson drove the Ravens down to the Kansas City 10-yard line, where he had three shots to the end zone. Jackson missed a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone and then appeared to throw a 10-yard touchdown to Likely as time expired. But Likely's right foot hit the end line, which led to the score being overturned.

The reigning Most Valuable Player, Jackson did all he could to keep Baltimore in it with his ninth game of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, the most in NFL history. Even with his performance, the Ravens couldn't keep up with the big plays from Mahomes, who now has 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions in his career against Baltimore.

QB breakdown: The most frustrating part of Jackson's game was his play inside the 20-yard line. In the first half, Jackson finished 1-of-4 for 9 yards in the red zone with two off-target throws, including a batted-down pass to a wide open Justice Hill. This was much different from last season, when Jackson completed 68% of his red zone passes. Also, Jackson fumbled at his own 13-yard line in the second quarter, resulting in a Chiefs field goal. Jackson has lost four fumbles in six games against Kansas City.

Troubling trend: The Chiefs continue to take away tight end Mark Andrews, who has been Jackson's favorite target. Andrews wasn't targeted until five minutes into the second half and finished the game with two catches for 14 yards. In his previous five meetings with Kansas City, Andrews had averaged 21.8 yards receiving and scored no touchdowns.

Eye-popping stat: With 122 rushing yards, a slimmed-down Jackson moved past Russell Wilson for third place on the all-time rushing list for quarterbacks. Jackson trails only Michael Vick (6,109 yards rushing) and Cam Newton (5,628). But Vick and Newton played in over 140 games. Thursday night was Jackson's 87th career game.

Biggest question: What are the ramifications of the Ravens' loss? While you can't overreact to a Week 1 defeat, this opener showed once again that Mahomes has the Ravens' number. Baltimore knew it couldn't even the score from last season's AFC Championship Game loss, but the Ravens left Thursday with even more uncertainty about whether they can upend Mahomes. After losing this potential head-to-head tiebreaker, the Ravens' road to the Super Bowl might have to go through Arrowhead, where Jackson is 0-3. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS, Sept. 15)

- Adam Teicher and Jamison Hensley

CIARA CALLED HUBBY "GREATEST" AFTER BRONCOS CONTRACT EXTENSION

 

Russel Wilson's wife, Ciara, showed love to her husband by calling him her "greatest inspiration" after the QB signed a massive 9-figure extension deal with the Denver Broncos.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS ELIMINATED | NFL PLAYOFFS

 

Seattle Seahawks will not be going to the NFL Plaoffs for the second time since Russell Wilson was drafted.

RUSSELL WILSON POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE VS. 49ERS